This bill provides that voluntary services under the child protection act may include the extension of foster care to individuals under 21 years of age who meet certain criteria regarding education and/or employment.

V-a. Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the contrary, the department may offer voluntary services to any child who prior to his or her eighteenth birthday was found to be neglected or abused, who was in legal custody of the department as of his or her eighteenth birthday, and who is less than 21 years of age. Voluntary services provided by the department under this paragraph may include extended foster care for youth under 21 years of age, provided that the youth is completing secondary education or a program leading to an equivalent credential, enrolled in an institution which provides postsecondary or vocational education, participating in a program or activity designed to promote or remove barriers to employment, employed for at least 80 hours per month, or incapable of doing any of the above due to a medical condition. The costs of voluntary services provided by the department under this paragraph shall not be eligible for reimbursement under RSA 169-C:27.

This bill amends RSA 169-C:34,V by extending voluntary services from the Department of Health and Human Services to include foster care for persons 18 to 21 provided that those individuals are in an educational program, vocational program, program promoting employment or removing barriers to employment, or are employed at least 80 hours per month. Individuals 18 to 21 incapable of participating in specified programs due to medical conditions would also be eligible.

The Department assumes there would be 12 individuals turning 18 years old in FY 2020 who would benefit from the bill. Beginning in FY 2021, an additional 12 individuals (24 total for FY 2021) would become eligible and each year thereafter with the first set of individuals beginning to age out in FY 2023 resulting in 36 total individuals ages 18 to 21 remaining eligible. The Department estimates it would consistently provide voluntary services to 36 eligible individuals on an annual basis beginning in FY 2022.

Department-provided rates per day for these services are $27.86 resulting in $10,169 annually per person. Based on the rates provided and the Department's assumptions, expenditures would increase by approximately $122,000 in FY 2020, $244,000 in SFY 2021, and $366,000 in each FY 2022 and FY 2023. Estimated expenditures would be a mix of 50 percent general funds and 50 percent federal funds.